


Times Of Change

by LinkCat



Series: The Magical Touch [1]
Category: Trolls (Movies 2016 2020)
Genre: Divorce, Drowning, F/F, F/M, Fear, Life Saving, M/M, Magic, Matter of Life and Death, Multi, Near Death Experiences, Partner Betrayal, Treason, life change, shipwrecked
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:41:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29930142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinkCat/pseuds/LinkCat
Summary: As a colony sets to the sea to find a new world, they find out that not everything goes as planned.
Relationships: Branch/Creek (Trolls), Branch/King Trollex, Harper/Smidge (Trolls), Hickory/Queen Poppy (Trolls)
Series: The Magical Touch [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2201184
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	1. A Failing World

**Author's Note:**

> This is part 1 of a planned series. I’m sorry for any mistakes I make. I hope you enjoy! I’m going to do first person again, as Branch, since I enjoyed it during the last series.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changes in King Peppy’s world causes him to make a difficult decision.

During a time of great drought, there was a kingdom that lived off the coast of a large island. I was one of the inhabitants. My name is Branch Thorn. Life was always a struggle as I was growing up. I remembered that food and water was scarce. Despite the struggles that our family endured, I grew up to be a strong young troll, who was entrusted with the duty of being Princess Poppy’s guard. I took my job as Princess Poppy’s guard very seriously. I was with her almost constantly, and assured that she got everything she needed as she engaged in everyday activities.

Just after my twentieth birthday, I got married to a lavender troll named Creek. I still worked with the royal family, but I did take some time to enjoy the married life. Just months after our marriage, I became pregnant with twins. I had been on contraceptives at the time I got pregnant, due to the poor quality of food that we had. I was very upset that I ended up pregnant, because I wasn’t ready to become a father. Especially since food was hard to come by. 

Creek and I started to fight over it, because I refused to abort my pregnancy. Even though they were unexpected, I didn’t think it was fair to kill my twins. I suggested we move instead, to a richer land, where we could thrive and survive, without the concern over finding nutrient rich foods. I began working on building a ship. I even invited anyone who wanted to go, to come with us, to find a new land.

King Peppy thought my idea of moving to another home was a tremendous idea. He had everyone help me, as I built a ship. He suggested we even make two ships, to assure that the entire colony could move. I wasn’t the only one that wanted a better future. He wanted a better future for the entire colony as well.

I was nearly due to have my twins, when the ships were ready. We packed as much food and water as we could, onto the ships, and then split the colony in half. Half gathered onto a ship, that I would be in charge of. The other half would be on the ship that King Peppy would be in charge of. I felt honored that he entrusted me with the second ship. He even had Princess Poppy on my ship, to assure that if something happened to one ship, half the colony’s future would have a chance. His younger daughter, Princess Rose, was on the ship King Peppy was on.

When we were all packed, I was surprised to see that Creek had gotten onto the ship that King Peppy was on. I felt my heart break. I was going to have my twins at any time, and he had chosen to be away from me. I hated that my pregnancy had caused us to drift apart. I quietly hoped that things would change, when we didn’t have to worry so much about food and water.

After we set sail, I looked at my compass and began to head east. I had a good feeling that we would find a fruitful land in that direction. I had told King Peppy about the good feelings I had, and he was also heading that way. As we headed east, I kept an eye on King Peppy’s ship. I knew there was a chance we would get separated, especially once night came to us, but I didn't want to lose him if I could help it.

As night came, I caught up with King Peppy’s ship and we tied them together, so that we didn’t lose each other during the night. I smiled, when Creek came over and hugged me. We shared several moments of kisses, before he led me to my cabin. He tucked me in and said he would take over for the night. My thoughts earlier, that he was upset with me, melted away as I drifted off to sleep.

I wasn’t sure how long I was asleep, however, I woke up to a loud explosion. I scrambled out of bed and went to inspect what could have caused the explosion. As I left my cabin, I witnessed a horrifying sight. Most of the ship was on fire. I screamed for everyone to get up to the top of the ship, and move to the second ship. I hurried over, to where the ships were tied together. To my horror, we were no longer attached. A matter of fact, the second ship was several hundred feet away, and was moving at a fast rate, away from us. I saw Creek, on that ship, watching the ship I was on, with a blank look on his face. That look would haunt me for years to come.

I had no time to waste, if we stood a chance of surviving. There were life boats on the ship. I was assured of their production, just in case an emergency like this happened. I went to untie one, but saw that all of them had been cut off the ship. My heart raced, as everyone who had survived the explosion, gathered next to me. I looked at Princess Poppy and frowned. “We have to try to swim to the other ship, or we’re all going to die.” I told her. I trembled with fear. I was so worried that we would all perish. It wasn’t looking good for us.

“You heard him, everyone, we need to get off the ship and start swimming!” Princess Poppy walked over to the edge of the ship and was the first to dive into the water. I stayed on the ship, to make sure everyone else got off. I was the captain of this ship, and wanted to make sure everyone else got off. The ship was sinking quickly, which had me even more worried about the survivors. A small troll by the name of Smidge, was the last of our colony to dive into the water, just seconds before the last part of the ship began to sink. 

I took a deep breath, as the ship sank. I was sucked under with it, and was unable to swim back up. The pull from the ship was taking me under. I fought with it for over a minute, until I could no longer hold my breath. I breathed in water and cringed as my twins kicked within my belly. I could feel their distress, as they squirmed within me. I felt my heart break, as darkness started to come over me. I felt like I had failed my colony and my twins.


	2. Something Fishy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch explains how he gets a second chance at life.

I wasn’t sure how long I was passed out, however, I woke up surrounded by several worried Techno trolls. I was familiar with this clan, because they would often help us fish, in exchange for gems and metals that we mined on the island. They were aware of our move, and likely followed us, to make sure we travelled safely. I was so grateful to see King Trollex’s face. He likely saved me and my trollings. He was one of my closest friends. “Trollex?” I inquired weakly.

“I’m right here, Branch.” King Trollex told me, as he moved closer. I looked up at him and cracked a smile. I was still a little woozy, considering I had gone a little while without oxygen, breathed in water, and passed out. “I feel strange…” I told him, as I rested my hand on my belly. I could feel that my twins were kicking within me. They appeared to have survived my near death experience.

“I’m sure you do, Branch. I had to do something to save you, that I didn’t want to do. I had to do it with several of your colony members, because you were all drowning.” King Trollex began to explain. “I don’t think I ever told you, but I can save land trolls from near death, if they fall into the ocean. All I have to do is touch them, and concentrate my energies. I can make land trolls into mertrolls. You’re a mertroll now, Branch. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you and your colony members to die…”

It took a few minutes for that to sink in. I looked down, where my feet used to be. I now had a tail fin. It was speckled with turquoise, teal, and royal blue spots and stripes. I looked at my arms and found that I had bands along my wrists, that were the same colors as the speckles on my tail fin. I touched where my nose was, and found that my nose no longer existed. A groan escaped my throat, as I once again rested my hand on my swollen belly. “Thank you, for saving my life.” I told him.

I saw the tension leave King Trollex’s face. I looked around, wondering who else was now mertrolls. I saw that Princess Poppy was nearby, talking to another Techno troll. I also spotted Smidge, Hickory, Harper, and Creek’s four year old sister, River. My cheeks flushed with anger, as I remembered Creek. He saw that we were all in trouble, and he didn’t turn back to save us. I wondered if he may have even been the cause of the explosion. It was certainly suspicious. Now the survivors of the explosion that had nearly drowned, were all mertrolls.

“How is he?” I heard a familiar voice. It was another one of King Peppy’s colony members. A middle aged gold glitter troll by the name of Mama Goldie. She was a doctor and took care of everyone, like a mother hen. Her real name was just Goldie, but everyone called her Mama, because she took care of everyone. I watched as she awkwardly swam over to me. I had a feeling it was going to take a little while for all of us to get used to being mertrolls.

“I think I’m going to be alright.” I reassured her as she checked me over. I looked down as she checked my twins. “They’re alive. Thank goodness. I was concerned that they would perish. You almost died on us, Branch. The ship dragged you down and it was hard to get to you safely.” She told me, as she rubbed my swollen belly gently. 

“I’m glad they survived.” I said, as I looked at King Trollex. “Are you able to help us return to normal?” I inquired, before feeling a tight squeeze in my belly. I grimaced and put my hand on my belly. I had been having contractions, since waking up, but that one was particularly painful. I had a feeling the traumatic event had caused me to go into labor. I was extremely nervous. I wanted my newborn trollings to be safe, and I knew that the ocean was full of dangerous predators.

King Trollex gave me a sad look, as he looked down at me. “I’m terribly sorry, Branch. I can’t reverse what I’ve done. You’re all going to be mertrolls, for the rest of your lives. I’m not certain your babies will be mertrolls though, so we’ll need to make sure I’m around when they arrive. As much as I feel they should be with your colony, they need to stay with you, since you’re the one that’s fathering them.” I shared his concerns. I didn’t want my babies to be taken from me. I had fought hard to assure they got a better future. I wasn’t going to give them up.

“We need to get back to our colony. I’m worried about King Peppy. I think Creek caused the ship to sink. He could turn on them too.” I said with concern, before feeling another harsh contraction. I grimaced and looked down when I felt something come out of me. I whimper and widened my eyes, seeing a tiny tail fin sticking out of me. “Oh my God…” I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. My twins were definitely coming, and it appeared that they had gone through the transformation as well.

“Branch? What’s wrong?” Mama Goldie asked me, before obviously noticing the baby’s tail fin. “Oh, good, they won’t need to be transformed.” I heard King Trollex, before opening my eyes and looking up at them. “Are they going to be alright?! I don’t want them to die!” I sounded fearful as I cringed and pushed. I could feel that the first baby was making its way out. “The baby is breech! I’m so scared!”

“Don’t panic, Branch. Techno trolls are usually born tail first. He’s not a breech baby.” I heard King Trollex reassure me. I watched as several of my friends gathered to watch the birth. I flushed and glared at a few of them. “Do you all mind?! Don’t watch me have my babies!” I snapped at them. I was stressed out and scared. I didn’t want my privacy to be violated too.

“Good job, Branch!” I heard Princess Poppy cheer as my first baby arrived. I took him into my arms when Mama Goldie moved him to my chest. I held him as he let out soft cries. He was turquoise, with lavender, green, and blue arm bands. He had two toned lime green and capri blue hair, just like Creek. His tail fin was highlighted with lavender at the edges. It was so odd seeing my baby as a mertrolling. I was expecting a tiny land trolling instead. “He won’t drown?!” I inquired as I grimaced. I began pushing for his twin.

“He won’t drown…” King Trollex reassured me. He had turned his back to me, to give me some privacy. Most of my friends had turned to give me privacy, however, a few of them were still watching. I glared at them all, except for Mama Goldie, since she was helping me. I looked down, as the second twin arrived. He was moved to my chest. I noticed he appeared to have the same markings and colors as I did. I held my sons, as the second baby cried. I was so glad that they were both alive. I had been worried about them since I found out about them five months earlier. It had been difficult to assure I got the right nutrients while pregnant.

“Let’s get them feeding. I’m so proud of you, Branch.” Mama Goldie told me, as she helped me set up my sons to nurse. I looked down at them, as they fed off of me. It was hard to think they could have died that night. Instead, they were born and very much alive. I was glad I got to watch them grow up. I owed a lot of that to King Trollex.

“What are you going to name them, Branch?” I heard Princess Poppy inquire. I looked up at her and let a soft sigh escape me. I had hoped that their names would be discussed with Creek, but Creek obviously didn’t want anything to do with them. Especially since he appeared to have attempted to kill all of us. I couldn’t believe that he would have wanted his children dead.

“I was thinking, Basil for the first boy, since I’m going to miss seasoning my meals with the tasty herb. For the second boy, I was thinking I’ll name him Sky, after my father. He looks a lot like him.” I closed my eyes and thought of my father. I hadn’t seen him come up, when the boat exploded. I had a dark feeling in the pit of my gut that he had died in the explosion. “Did anyone see my father?”

“He’s gone, Branch. I’m so sorry.” I heard Hickory, as he swam over to my head. I cringed and began to cry. I saw that my tail fin had faded gray. I grieved the loss of my father, the loss of the other victims of the explosion, and the loss of our way of life. It was going to take a while to get used to being mertrolls. I was certain it was going to be easier for my twins then it would be for the rest of us. Our way of life was going to have to change. I just hoped that we could survive it. I was certain it wasn’t going to be easy.


	3. Basil Is Blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch panics when he finds out his eldest twin can’t see.

I recalled seeing one of the youngest Techno trollings, Coral Blush, swimming and playing immediately after birth. Unlike land trollings, mertrollings were able to get around a lot easier right after birth. So when my twins had a chance to rest after their birth, the three of us worked on learning how to swim in the ocean waters together, while everyone, but King Trollex, took a nap, since it was still nighttime. We were not going to be able to find King Peppy’s ship, until daylight came.

Sky took to swimming, naturally, while Basil and I struggled to figure out our tail fins. I watched as Sky began inspecting the area around us curiously. I was nervous that he strayed away from me, however, he was quick to swim back over to me when something startled him. I held him as he snuggled into my chest. “I’ve got you, Sky. It’s going to be alright.” I reassured my newborn son.

I looked at Basil and watched him as he wiggled around. He began using his arms and fins correctly, but he didn’t swim in any particular pattern. He didn’t seem to be looking around either, like Sky had. I cringed when he bumped into King Trollex. Something about my older son wasn’t right.

“Hello Basil…” King Trollex took him and held him. “It’s not easy to learn how to swim. How about I show you how to do it?” He let my son go and began swimming around in front of him. “You’ve got to move your tail fin and use your arms to propel yourself forward.” He explained to Basil, as he swam around. I couldn’t help but notice that Basil wasn’t watching him. I carefully swam over to my son and waved my hand in front of his face. He didn’t react, even when I moved my hand closer to his face.

“I think Basil is blind.” I felt my heart break into a thousand pieces. My son likely inherited eyesight problems, from my side of the family. His great grandfather, Twig, had also been blind. He managed just fine, however, he had used aids to get around on land. I had no idea how Basil was going to survive in a world where eyesight was so important. I was going to try my best to keep him alive, but I feared he would soon fall victim to a shark or seal. Both predators moved so quickly. Basil’s chance of surviving to his first birthday just crashed to nearly zero.

“Are you sure?” King Trollex swam over to us and looked at Basil’s dual colored, sky blue and purple eyes. They were dilated and fixed. It was dark in the water, but our beating hearts gave us just enough light to see our immediate surroundings. A matter of fact, my vision was better under the water, then it had been while on land. It was another thing for me to get used to.

“I’m almost certain.” I reached to poke one of Basil’s eyes. He didn’t blink, even as I got it really close. When Basil suddenly wriggled around, I couldn’t help but chuckle nervously. He was trying so hard to learn how to swim. I took him into my arms and held him. “It’ll be alright son, I’ll protect you and take good care of you. I won’t let you die without a fight.”

“I’ve never known a Techno troll that was blind, Branch. I’m not sure how to help. I’m so sorry.” King Trollex told me, as he rubbed my son’s tiny back. I looked down, when Sky cuddled up next to Basil, in my arms. I hoped for Sky’s sake, that Basil would survive into adulthood, but his blindness was a huge setback. “I’m sure we’ll get it figured out, though. He’s his father’s son. I’m sure he’ll be as smart as you are. He’ll figure out how to survive.” King Trollex tried to reassure me. I’m sure he was picking up on my anxiety. I was so worried about my son.

“Let’s get some rest. We need to have our strength in the morning, so we can catch up to King Peppy’s ship.” I told King Trollex, before settling down beside Princess Poppy and Hickory. I held my sons to my chest and closed my eyes as they quietly nursed off of me. I couldn’t help but think of so many worse case scenarios as I laid there on the seabed. I closed my eyes and sighed tiredly, as King Trollex laid next to us. I began to drift off, exhausted from the shipwreck and the birth. My last thoughts were grim. I had a bad feeling my baby boy wasn’t going to live for very long.

I slept for a little while, until I felt one of my babies latch onto me. I woke up and saw that Sky had settled in for a feeding. I glanced around and gasped when I realized that Basil was nowhere near me. I held Sky to my chest, as I swam around to look for my newborn son. “Basil?!” I called him. I couldn’t believe my luck. He wasn’t even twenty four hours old, and I had already lost him. I began crying, thinking he was already snatched up by a predator.

“Branch?! What’s wrong?!” King Trollex asked me, as he followed me. I noticed I had awakened most of the trolls around me, as I searched frantically for Basil. “I woke up, and Basil wasn’t with me!” I declared with a sob. I trembled as I looked around. I didn’t want to believe that my newborn was gone.

“We’ll find him, Branch. Don’t panic…” King Trollex helped me look around. He acted like this wasn’t unusual, however, I couldn't help but worry. I had just found out that Basil was blind. The fact he appeared to be missing had me petrified. He was just a baby. I was supposed to take care of him, until he was old enough to be on his own.

“He’s right here.” I heard Smidge. I swam over to where I heard her and took Basil into my arms. I held him and cradled him. I was so glad that he was alright. It appeared he had gone exploring while I slept, and had fallen asleep next to Smidge and River. He seemed to at least understand that he needed to stay close to the clan. “Don’t leave me like that, son! You scared me…” I couldn’t help but smile, when he latched onto the breast that Sky wasn’t feeding off of. He certainly knew who papa was.

“He’ll figure it out, Branch. He’s just a newborn. We’ll figure out a way to keep him close, since he can’t see. Try to relax. We have a few more hours before daylight.” King Trollex tried to reassure me, before having me lay down. I snuggled into him and closed my eyes. I cried silently, as he held me. I was so stressed out and scared. A lot had happened in such a short time. I wasn’t sure how much more of it I could handle. Especially knowing that my disabled son could easily get killed. I wanted Basil to remain safe and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to remain safe and sound.


	4. An Angry Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch faces Creek, after a horrifying night.

After my son gave me such a fright, I managed to get a few hours of sleep. I woke up, when both my twins began to cry. It started with Basil, after King Trollex stopped him from swimming off. Sky joined him moments later. I quickly took them into my arms and set them up to nurse. I yawned tiredly and looked around. The ocean looked a lot different during the day, then it did at night. I had never got this perspective of the ocean. I thought it was a beautiful sight. There were a lot of fish swimming around that I didn’t remember seeing during the night. 

The sound of my stomach growling, had me looking around for food. I hadn’t eaten since the day before, and hadn’t had an appetite to eat yet, considering the horrible and painful night. I recalled being offered food right after having the twins, but I had declined. I wasn’t hungry yet, and didn’t want to get sick. I wasn’t too worried about my twins, since I had eaten dinner the night before.

King Trollex must have heard my stomach, because he came over with a fresh fish, wrapped in a strip of seaweed. “Breakfast?” I inquired with a look of disgust. I wasn’t used to eating fish raw, but there was no good way to cook anything under the water. Everything I was going to eat from now on was either going to be raw, or cooked by a land troll. I wasn’t sure I was even going to like it.

“Yeah, this is breakfast. You should eat. You’ve fed the twins a few times now, and they’re going to need you to eat. Your milk will stop coming in, if you stop eating.” King Trollex encouraged me. “I know it’s not what you’re used to, but you might be surprised. I think this particular fish tastes great with seaweed. Give it a try?”

“You say that, as if you think I like sashimi…” I grumbled crankily. I had tried raw fish before, and didn’t care for it. He was right though, I did need to eat for my twins. When he moved the fish closer to me, I opened my mouth and let him feed me. I was surprised by how good it tasted. I was expecting it to taste strange, and feel slimy on my tongue. I devoured the entire fish, and licked my lips when I was done. “It’s not bad, I guess. Thank you for feeding me, since my hands are full.” I felt a little embarrassed that I had been difficult about eating it. It tasted better than I thought.

“I’m happy to help you, Branch. You’ve had a rough night.” King Trollex smiled at me, before rubbing Sky’s tiny back. He had just finished eating. “I have a temporary idea that might help keep Basil closer to you.” I watched him pluck a few of his hairs from his head. He weaved them into a rope and tied it around Basil’s chest. He took a few more hairs, and weaved those together into another rope. He tied it to Basil’s new harness, and then gave the rope to me.

“Basil isn’t a cuddle pup…” I glared at King Trollex. I thought this was a joke. The way he had tied up my son, made him look like a pet on a leash. I wasn’t amused by this and could feel that my cheeks were flushed with anger. I was already extremely protective of my son, which included maintaining his dignity. I didn’t want him to become the laughing stock of the entire Techno troll’s clan.

“I know he’s not, Branch. He’s a baby, who can’t see. This was the only thing I could think of for right now. We need to get caught up to King Peppy’s ship, and this is the only way we’re going to be able to manage it safely. You’re going to have a hard time swimming, if you are holding him. I’m only trying to help.” King Trollex explained to me with a serious look on his face. He didn’t seem fazed by my crankiness. He was likely used to it, considering I had a temper.

“You have a good point, but he’s not going to stay in it, after we settle.” I grumbled, as I tied the rope that Basil was attached to, to my wrist. I watched as Basil tried to swim away from me. As fast as he was going, he probably would have given me a good chase. I thought perhaps this might work after all. He wasn’t going anywhere, thanks to the harness. I suddenly felt like my son was going to be a lot safer.

“Let’s get going. It might take a few hours to catch up.” King Trollex began calling everyone over, and then led us. I knew he was a spiritual troll. He could likely sense where King Peppy was. I was extremely grateful that King Trollex was a talented troll, because I wasn’t given such a wonderful gift. I would have never been able to find King Peppy’s ship in time to help him.

It took a couple of hours to get caught up to the ship. As soon as I saw it, I began swimming even faster. I wanted to give Creek a piece of my mind. He obviously didn’t care that any of us could have died. Especially after a horrible explosion. As soon as I reached the ship, I poked my head out of the water and gasped when I noticed that King Peppy had turned the ship around. He was heading right for me and my twins. I dove down, and directed my twins away from the large vessel, so they wouldn’t be hit.

“I’ve got your twins, Branch. Please be careful.” Mama Goldie told me, as she took my twins from me. She didn’t untie Basil fast enough in my opinion. I was shaking with anger. At the moment that Basil was freed from me, I resurfaced and looked at the ship. “King Peppy!” I called him. I noticed my voice sounded angry. I wanted to tear my husband to shreds.

“Branch?!” King Peppy walked over to the edge of the ship and looked down at me. I noticed that Princess Poppy, Hickory, Smidge, and several other colony members had also surfaced. I saw the pain on his face, when he saw us. It had to be a shock for him, to see so many of his colony members, transformed into Techno trolls. Especially since one of them was his eldest daughter.

“I’m certain that Creek caused an explosion on the other ship. He cut down the lifeboats, so that we couldn’t save ourselves. King Trollex had to transform us, to save our lives.” Princess Poppy explained to her father. I looked over at her, and then at Creek when he came over to the side of the boat. The look he gave me, was that of complete shock. I immediately took my hair and grabbed him with it. I pulled him off the ship and began throwing punches when he reached me. I was so angry, that I didn’t even care at that moment if he drowned.

“Branch! Let him go! We need to figure out what happened before he’s punished!” King Peppy reached his hair into the water and retrieved Creek from my grasp. I breathed hard, as I glared up at him. “I almost died! My twins would have died with me! I want a divorce, right now!” I snapped angrily. I was shaking so hard that the water around me rippled. I shot a glare at Princess Poppy, when she put her hand on my shoulder. I was in no mood for comfort.

“He’s right, Branch. We need to investigate this. Dad will put him in jail, until the investigation is over. Think about your twins. They can see and hear what you’re doing right now. They might remember it later. You want to be a good influence to them, right?” Princess Poppy asked me. I nodded to her and sighed heavily. “Alright, but I still want a divorce. I no longer trust him and if he did cause the ship to sink, he killed my father and several other innocent trolls. I don’t want to be married to a murderer!”

“Your divorce will be granted, Branch. Let’s go back to the shipwreck and start the investigation.” King Peppy reassured me, before properly restraining Creek. I glared at my husband, as he was led away from the side of the ship. I hoped I at least caused him some discomfort, after the pain that he caused us the night before. I was fuming, and no longer saw him as a lover. My trust in him was gone, and I was certain I could never trust him again, even if he somehow was found to be innocent. What I remembered the night before, pointed to him as the guilty party. I didn’t want him in my children’s lives, after what he had done.


	5. Creek Faces Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Peppy quickly figures out that Creek is not an innocent troll.

It took a few hours to get back to where the shipwreck occurred. I cringed, when I saw the remains of the ship underwater. I didn’t realize just how bad it was, since it had been so dark. I led my babies away from it and settled down nearby to nurse them. I cried silently, realizing that friends and family had been on the ship, when it exploded. Many of them were now mertrolls, like I was, and some of them were now dead. It broke my heart that so many lives had changed, including my own.

When I heard another troll behind me, I sucked it up and stopped crying. I didn’t want to cry in front of anyone anymore. I looked away, when Princess Poppy faced me. She was the last troll I wanted to face at that moment. I was her trusted guard, and I felt like I had failed her. I was supposed to protect her, and now she was a mertroll, and so was her boyfriend, Hickory. Her future as queen was now on the line. I wasn’t sure how she was going to be able to do what she was meant to do.

“I’m so sorry, Princess Poppy. I failed you, and everyone else that was on that ship, including my own children. I should have never gone to bed. I would have stopped him from doing what he did.” I told her, with a heavy sigh. I gasped when she pulled me in for a hug. I let her cuddle with me, and looked down when my twins squirmed between us. They were starting to get fussy from being squished.

“Branch, what happened was not your fault. You were tired, and did far more than anyone else would have done at nearly six months pregnant. You didn’t fail us. Creek was the one that failed us, and betrayed his colony. He’ll face justice for what he did, and will have to face the consequences of his actions.” Princess Poppy told me as she had me look up. “You’re a great guard and I trust you, Branch. That won’t change because of this.”

“I made a promise with your father, that I would keep you safe.” I struggled to keep eye contact with her magenta colored eyes. They looked so much different, now that they were solid and larger. She was so pretty as a mertroll. Her pink skin was highlighted with magenta coloration, and the tip of her tail was speckled with light pink, magenta, and raspberry colored spots. She had arm bands in the same colors too. The nearly twenty one year old princess was supposed to be queen soon, and now her plans were likely going to have to change. I couldn’t shake the thought that it was all my fault.

“You didn’t break your promise, Branch. You did your best to protect me, despite the grim circumstances. You even assured everyone else got off the ship, which nearly cost your life and the lives of your twins. You’re our hero.” Princess Poppy reassured me, before taking Sky into her arms. He had snuggled up to her. I could see that he liked her already. I looked up at her and frowned. “I’m no hero…”

“Branch…” Princess Poppy sounded stern, as she reached over and put her hand on my arm. “You’re my hero. You’re not going to change my mind about that.” She nudged me towards the shipwreck. “Let’s head back. Basil and Sky are done eating, and dad is waiting for you to give your side of the story. Creek was already talking to him, and has given him a load of lies. You need to set him straight. You saw more than I did last night.” She led me towards King Peppy’s ship. My heart raced, as I resurfaced.

“There’s Branch. Branch, I need you to give me your side of the story.” King Peppy inquired. I began recounting the events of the night before, including the kisses, Creek tucking me into bed, the explosion, the lifeboats, and the look Creek was giving me, when he saw that our ship was on fire and sinking. I didn’t leave any details out, as I held my twins to my chest. I was certain they could sense my anxiety, because both of them were clung to me and fussy.

“He’s lying! He was up all night giving birth, so how can we be certain he isn’t lying?!” Creek snapped angrily. I glared up at him and sneered. How could he call me a liar, after everything we had been through the night before? “I’m not lying, Creek! Yes, I gave birth, and I had a long night, trying to assure that our sons were cared for. You weren’t there when they were born. You didn’t see that I was worried about them, and struggled to stay calm when I realized Basil was blind!”

“Basil is blind?! See, there was no reason to keep them alive in the first place! He’s going to be a burden on our society! He won’t be helpful when it comes to finding fresh food and water. He has to be killed, like I wanted them to be, when I found out they existed!” Creek yelled at us. I felt my cheeks flush with anger. How could he say those sort of things about his own flesh and blood? It made my blood boil. I refrained from yelling at him. I didn’t want to frighten my newborn sons, more than they already were. They were right there in my arms, and clearly extremely frightened. I silently wondered how much they understood. They could clearly pick up on the fact that I was upset and angry.

“That’s enough! Creek, I’ve heard enough! I sentence you to banishment, for treason. You killed several trolls, nearly killed my eldest daughter, and forever changed her life, and the lives of so many trolls. I’m taking you to the island that we lived on, and you’re going to be stuck with the land we were certain would not sustain us. May God have mercy on your soul.” King Peppy declared, before tying Creek to a post on the ship. I had a feeling Creek would die in a few weeks. We hadn’t left anything on the island, to assure we had enough during our travels.

I looked at Creek long and hard, before King Peppy began directing the ship back to the island. I sang loudly, so that Creek could hear me. I wanted him to know that I had mixed feelings about all this. He had truly crushed my heart and soul. I began to follow, wanting to protect my king, even though I could no longer do so. King Trollex stopped me and had me look at him. I had tears in my eyes, as I looked at my new leader. He would be the one giving me orders now. A change I wasn’t ready to face.

“Let’s stay here and get some rest, Branch. You’re exhausted, and so are all the new mertrolls. Your babies need to take a nap. I’ll send some of my troops to assure that everything goes smoothly. You’re not alone. I hope you know that.” King Trollex reassured me again, as he pulled me in for a gentle hug. I buried my face into his chest and held back crying more. I felt like I had cried too much the last twenty four hours. He was right about one thing though, I was exhausted and needed to rest. It had been a very long and hard day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the song that Branch sang. I don't own the song. All credit goes to the creators!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zABLecsR5UE


	6. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch makes new friends with some of the Techno trolls.

For the next two weeks, we helped King Peppy look for a new home. During the night, we made arrangements over what we would do once King Peppy’s colony settled. It was clear that Princess Poppy wouldn’t be the leader of the Pop trolls anymore, when they settled on a new land. She would be able to go on land occasionally, but she was going to be more comfortable and get around better in the sea. King Peppy made the decision to let Princess Rose take over as the future queen, in a couple of years, when she was twenty one years old.

Princess Poppy wasn’t a royal member of the Techno troll clan, which meant that she was no longer going to be a future queen. King Trollex had agreed to the idea of letting her be an advisor of the Techno trolls, since she had trained for so long to be queen. She even talked about the idea that maybe one day her future child might fall in love with King Trollex’s offspring. Of course, the idea was a little silly. King Trollex was single, and didn’t seem to be interested in anyone. Princess Poppy at least had Hickory, who had recently proposed to her. She had told him yes, so there was a wedding coming soon.

During the two weeks, my twins grew and learned how to swim very well. I still kept Basil beside me, using the same idea that King Trollex helped me with, two weeks earlier. He was tied to me, to assure that he didn’t swim away. I didn’t want him to get picked off or lost. Sky was really good about staying next to me, and was very clingy, which I found out was normal. Both twins fed often, and slept a lot. I was adjusting to life as a single father. They were my biggest priority, since they were completely dependent on me for all of their needs.

I knew it would be several years before they would be old enough to be on their own at all, which meant that I devoted every moment of my time with them. It didn’t bother me, considering they were newborns. I just silently wished I could have a small break, especially at night, when I was trying to sleep. The twins often woke up at separate times, which meant I wasn’t getting much sleep. Despite the exhaustion, I felt my twins were worth it. They had been the light during a rough time in my life.

King Trollex did offer to babysit my twins, however, I felt that it was the last thing he needed, when he had fifty four trolls to help adjust to mertroll life. I thought it was sweet that he offered, but I didn’t think it was fair for him. He didn’t ask to have so much burden fallen upon him. He was always a busy troll, just like Princess Poppy was. I didn’t want to burden him further by asking him to babysit for me.

Now that my twins were two weeks old, they were due for a check up. King Trollex had settled us in a coral reef, where we could carve out the coral for homes. I took Basil and Sky to one of the coral, which was hollowed out for medical purposes. As I went inside, I waited by the wall for my turn with the doctors. I could see that Mama Goldie was in there, to help the Techno troll medical staff. I was glad she was still able to be a doctor.

“Branch! I was starting to get worried about you. I haven’t seen you in days.” Mama Goldie swam over to me and hugged me and my babies. I hugged her back and smiled at her. “I’ve been busy with the twins, and rearranging our new home. There’s still so much to do, but they need me.” I told her with a yawn at the end. I looked behind her, when a group of four mertroll sisters swam over to us. I recognized them, but I hadn’t officially met them yet.

“This is Branch? His twins are beautiful.” A purple Techno troll with blue hair and light blue eyes said, as she approached us. I watched as she checked my sons over. It appeared she was one of the medical staff. I watched her warily anyways, since my twins were just babies. I was very protective of them. “Yes, this is Branch. His sons’ names are Basil and Sky. They’re two weeks and one day old.” Mama Goldie introduced us. I looked at her, and then at the four girls. “To whom, do I have the pleasure of meeting?” I inquired tiredly.

“Deepest apologizes, Branch. My name is Mercy. These three younger Techno trolls are my sisters. The raspberry colored one is Bliss, the dark purple one is Faith, and the young magenta troll is Hope. We’re sisters, who have been helping our mom, Ginger, with her medical practice. You’ve probably seen Ginger around. She’s a middle aged raspberry Troll, with bright blue eyes, and two toned magenta and purple two toned hair.” Mercy introduced herself and her family. I cracked a smile and nodded at her, when she told me about Doctor Ginger. I remembered seeing her the day my twins were born. She had assured me that my twins were healthy.

“I remember Ginger. I’m sorry if we’ve been introduced. I’m struggling to remember everyone. I’ve been quite overwhelmed lately.” I admitted with a sigh. I watched as Faith checked me over. I cringed when she checked me over physically. I wished she had at least warned me she was going to touch me. I was still a little bit sore from the shipwreck, the birth, and the long travel.

“You’re exhausted, Branch. It’s all over your face. Has anyone come over to offer help? You should be resting as much as possible. The birth would have taken a lot out of you. I don’t think you’re eating enough either. Your ribs are starting to show a little bit.” Faith told me, after she finished checking me over. I looked away from her, just to face Bliss. I flushed and looked into her bright yellow eyes. It was so odd to me, that most Techno trolls seemed to have bright colored eyes.

“Yeah, I’ve been offered help, but I don’t want to burden anyone. I’ve been eating when I have time, but I don’t have a lot of time right now. I have a home that just got made, and two newborns to take care of.” I wasn’t about to admit that I was also avoiding food, due to feeling down. I hadn’t had a good appetite since before the babies were born. I had been through a lot and was likely dealing with some depression.

“Well, you’re getting help. You’re not a burden to anyone. You’ve got two babies that need you to stay healthy. Come on girls, let’s go make sure he eats and takes a nap.” Mercy took my hand and led me out of the medical part of the coral structure. She went deep within it, and stopped in what appeared to be a kitchen. She gave me some food and had me eat. I kept glancing at Hope, who now had my twins. I was nervous about entrusting these sisters with my babies. I trusted King Trollex, but I wasn’t so sure about the other Techno trolls. I wanted my babies to be safe.

“Relax, Branch. The twins are fine. Faith had a baby a few weeks ago, so she can even feed them when they get hungry in a little while. I want you to take a nap, when you’re done eating.” Mercy told me, as she assured that I ate every bite of the meal she gave me. Once I was fed, she led me to a bed and helped me settle down on it. I looked between them, unsure over this development, but part of me was so grateful that someone was giving me a break. I was so tired. Mercy began to sing a lullaby that Queen Lily used to sing to Princess Poppy and Princess Rose, which overwhelmed me with a feeling of euphoria. It was a song that often made all trolls very sleepy and happy. I recalled that the Techno trolls also loved this lullaby. My eyes soon grew heavy and my mind wondered as I began to drift off. I had a feeling I just made four new friends, and I was forever grateful for their help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the song that Mercy sang. I don't own the song. All credit goes to the creators!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5P2-9YY7qU


End file.
